Golf club



P 1963 R. M. BARRETT 3,102,726

GOLF CLUB Filed June 14, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROWLAND M. BARRETT Jtc, $6: W, 3 4

ATTORNEYS Sept. 3, 1963 R. M. BARRETT GOLF CLUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1961 United States Patent 3,102,726 GULF CLUE Rowland M. llarrett, REEL, Jlohs Pond, Portland, Conn. Filed June 14, 196i, Ser. No. llhdil @laims. C3. 27.3-31.2.)

This invention relates to golf clubs, and deals more particularly with improvements in the construction of golf clubs for increasing the accuracy and comfort of a player.

The improvements with which this invention is concerned find particular ,utility in golf putters, and the invention is therefore illustrated and described herein by way of example as applied to a putter. It is to be understood, however, that certain aspects of the invention may be applied to advantage in the construction of other golf clubs and that where this is so there is no intention to limit the invention to putters.

The general object of this invention is to provide a well balanced and attractive appearing golf club designed to improve the accuracy of a player using the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club wherein the angle between the sole of the head and the longitudinal axis of the shaft is adjustable so that the sole may be made to lie in parallel or other desired relationship to the ground regardless of whether the ball is played close to or away from the body of the player and regardless of the slope of the ground. That is, this object concerns the provision of a golf club having a blade or head which may be adjusted to accommodate the particular stance of the player and the contour of the ground at the point where the ball is played.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club, such as a putter, having a shaft which may be varied in length to accommodate the club to the height of the player and the particular stance desired by the latter. a club which may be adjusted in length to provide the player with whatever length of club he finds provides him with the most comfort, balance, and accuracy.

A further object of this invention is to provide a golf club including a means whereby the player may visually align the blade or head with the shaft to bring its face into square relationship with the desired path of the ball, thus improving the accuracy of the shot.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a golf club having an adjustable blade or head which may be locked in place relative to the shaft once a desired setting is achieved and wherein the setting cannot thereafter be changed without disassembling the club, thereby making the club acceptable for use in tournaments and other situations where adjustable clubs are prohibited.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club including a provision for adding weights to the bottom portion of the club so that the player can readily adjust the club weight to suit his own preference in this respect.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club head assembly which head assembly may be readily attached to an existing shaft to form a golf club fulfilling the objects set forth in the preceding paragraphs. A player may therefore buy only the head assembly and use the shaft from an old club with said head assembly to obtain an improved club having the advantages set forth above. If the shaft used is taken from one club of a matched set and if the head assembly is designed with a putter head the result will be an improved putter which is matched with the other clubs of the set.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be That is, this object concerns the provision of.

apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings forming .a part thereof.

The drawings show preferred embodiments of the invention and such embodiments will be described, but it will be understood that various changes. may be made from the constructions disclosed, and that the drawings and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a golf putter embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf putter shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

HG. 4 is a view showing the appearance of the putter of MG. 1 as viewed by a player using the same and which view illustrates the manner in which the rear portion of the putter head may be used to achieve a desired alignment of the putter head.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a player using the golf club of FIG. 1 and further illustrates the manner in which alignment of the putter head may be obtained.

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIG. 3, but shows a slightly modified construction of the stem which. connects the head to the shaft.

Turning now to the drawings, and first particularly referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a golf putter indicated generally at it). The complete putter Ill includes an elongated tubular shaft 112, having a grip 14 of conventional construction at its upper end portion, and a head assembly, indicated generally at 16, connected with the lower end portion of the shaft 12. The head assembly 16 is'designed to :be readily attached to or removed from the shaft 12, and may be sold as a separate unit for attachment to an existing shaft owned by the purchaser.

The head assembly 16 consists essentially of a head or blade 13 and a stem 20, the stern being connected at one end with the head 18 and adapted at its other end to receive the lower end portion of the shaft 12. The head 18 may take various different forms and shapes, but preferably and as shown consists of .a metal piece having two flat and opposed side surfaces 22, 22 which extend the full length or the head so that the latter is of uniform thickness throughout its length. The head includes a bottom or sole surface 24 and the side surfaces 22, 22 are arranged to lie in generally vertical planes when the sole 24 is in its normal position parallel to the ground. Along its upper edge the head is shaped to provide an .upwardly extending shank 26 which coopcrates with the stem 20 as hereinafter described.

From FIG. 1 it will he noted that the head 18 includes a forward portion 28 which extends forwardly or to the left of the shank 26, .and also includes a rearward portion 30 which extends a substantial, and almost equal, distance rearwardly or to the right of the shank 26. It will also be noted that either one of the side surfaces 22, 22 may be used as the striking surface and that therefore the club 10 may be used by either a right-handed or a left-handed player. The forward portion 23 is normally used for striking a ball while the rearward portion 30 serves to impart a desired degree of balance to the club and also serves as a target for achieving a given alignment of the head 18 as hereinafter described.

One of the features of this invention is the provision of means whereby the angle between the shaft 12 and the sole 24- of the head may be selectively varied to suit the club to the stance of the player and the slope of the ground at the point where the ball is played. To achieve this the a: lower end portion of the stem 25) is pivotally connected to the shank 26. This pivot connection in turn preferably includes means whereby the head is frictionally held in place relative to the stem and other means whereby the head may be positively locked in the position to which it is moved relative to the stem. The friction means are such that the head may be moved manually to any desired position relative to the stem and will be held by friction forces in the poistion to which it is moved against the action of normal loads and other forces imposed on the head during ordinary use. The means for frictionally restraining the head relative to the stem may be used by itself, or the locking means may be used by itself, but the hinge connection preferably includes both of these means.

In the illustrated pivot joint both friction and locking means are employed. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the upper end portion of the shank 26 is relieved or cut away along both sides to produce two opposed and flat parallel side surfaces 32, 32 and a rounded top surface 34, the surfaces 32, 32 being spaced apart by a distance less than that separating the side surfaces 22, 22. This upper end portion of the shank 26 is in turn received by a transverse notch 36 formed in the lower end portion of the stem Ztl. The notch 36 thus divides the stem into two arms 38, 38 which straddle and engage the opposed surfaces 32, 32 of the shank. The stem 20 consists of a hollow tube and at its lower end an insert 40 is fitted into its bore. The insert 40, as best shown in FIG. 3, includes an upper portion 42 which extends upwardly beyond the end of the notch 36 and a lower portion which is provided with a notch aligned with the notch 36 and which defines two insert arms 44, 44 which straddle the side faces 32, 32 of the shank portion 26. The insert arms 44- are thus each located between a respective one of the stern arms 38 and the associated side face 32 of the shank.

In order to complete the pivot connection between the stem 20 and the head 18 a pivot member is passed transversely through the insert arms 44, 44 the stem arms 38, 33 and the upper end pontion of the shank 26. This pivot member may be of various different forms but preferably comprises some sort of threaded fastener whereby the insert and stem arms may be brought into tight clamping engagement with the side faces of the shank to provide for the frictional restraint mentioned above. In the illustrated case, for example, a suitable fastener is shown to consist of an internally threaded screw member 46 and a cooperating externally threaded screw member 48. Each of the members 46 and 48 includes a head having a slot or the like for receiving a tool for turning one member relative to the other to tighten the same and bring the insert and stem arms into frictional engagement with the uper end portion of the shank.

In order to provide for positively and releasably locking the head in the position to which it is moved relative to the stem 20, the insert 4%} further includes a longitudinal threaded opening 50 extending through its upper portion 42. This upper insert portion 42 is fixed relative to the stem 20 by the threaded members 46 and 48 and the threaded opening 42 receives a set screw 51. The set screw 51 may be turned by a tool inserted through the upper end of the stem 2% to bring its lower end into or out of locking engagement with the top surface 34 of the shank 26. It will be noted that the set screw 51 is accessible and can be turned only when the shaft 12 is removed from the stem '20. Therefore once the screw is tightened to lock the head 18 in a fixed position and the shaft is reassembled with the stem 20 no further adjustment of the head is possible without again disassembling the shaft from the stem. Thus in situations such as tournament where adjustment of the head is not allowed the head may be locked in a given position prior to the start of the tournament and left in such locked condition throughout the course of the tournament, it being impossible to readjust the head without performing the readily apparent act of disassembling the club. On the other hand, in cases where adjustment of the head is permissible the set screw 51 may be left in a loose condition so that the player may, if he wants, change the setting of the head for each shot, relying on the friction forces to hold the head in the various different positions to which it is moved.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of means for adjusting the length of the club to suit the club to the height .and other characteristics of the player using the same. This feature is obtained by designing the stem 2th to slidably receive the lower end portion of the shaft 12 and by providing means associated with the stern for releasably locking the shaft in various different longitudinal positions relative to the stem. As illustrated the stem 2t) is tubular and has a bore of such a size as to be capable of telescopically receiving the lower end portion of the shaft 12. 'In FIG. 3 the shaft 12 is shown inserted in the stern bore so as to extend into the bore for somewhat less than its full length. Pushing the shaft downwardly or further into the stem decreases the length of the club while pulling the shaft upwardly or further out of the stern increases the length of the club.

To releasably lock the shaft 12 in the longitudinal position to which it is moved, the stem 20 is externally threaded at its upper end and receives a locking nut 52. The locking nut 52 includes a lower portion 54, internally threaded for cooperation with the threaded portion of the stem, and an upper pontion 56. The upper portion 56 is preferably elongated as shown and includes an opening which is axially aligned with the bore of stem 20 and which closely fits the outer surface of shaft 12. At the lower end of the upper portion 56 is a radial shoulder 58 which is axially spaced from the end surface of the stem 20. The latter end surface of the stem 20 is in turn provided with a conical seat 6%. Surrounding the shaft 12 and positioned between the shoulder 5'8 and the seat 60 is a compression ring =62. The ring 62 is so shaped as to have a flat face which engages the shoulder '58 and a conical face which engages the conical seat 60. The inner surface of the ring 62 fits closely with the outer surface of the shaft 12 so that when the locking nut 52 is tightened on the stem 20 the compression ring, because of the wedging action between the conical surface of the ring and the conical seat 60, will be contracted tightly against the outer surface of the shaft 12 to hold the same in locked relation to the stern 20. Likewise, when the locking nut 52 is loosened on the stem 20 the pressure on the compression ring 62 will be released so that the shaft 12 may be moved longitudinally relative to the stem 20 and the ring 62. The locking nut is designed to be operable by a player using the club :10 and preferably includes a knurled portion, as shown at 64, so that the player can obtain a tight grip thereon.

As mentioned previously, the rear portion 30 of the head '18 in addition to counterbalanoing the forward portion 23 to give a comfortable feel or balance to the club also serve as a target for enabling the player to bring the head 18 into a given alignment with the intended path of the ball to improve the accuracy of his shots. The manner in which the rearward portion 30 serves this purpose is shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 5 shows a player using the club and FIG. 4 is a view of the club as seen by the player in FIG. 5. From FIG. 4 it will be noted that the portion 30 extends rearwardly by a sufficient distance such that a player looking down on the shaft 12 will also be aible to see a part of the portion 30, unless the head is perfectly aligned with the shaft.

From FIG. 3 it will be noted that the two side faces 22, 22 of the head 18 are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the shaft 12. Therefore in order to achieve alignment of the head 18 the player may visually ialign each side surface 22, 22 of the rear portion 3% with a respective side of the shaft 12 as he looks down on the shaft. When such an alignment is achieved, the head 18 will be brought into parallel relationship with the plane which passes through the longitudinal :axis of the shaft 12 and the eye of the player. If this plane is in turn perpendicular with the intended path of the ball, as is generally the case, the result will be that the head is brought into truly square relationship with the intended ball path. In FIG. 4, the solid lines show the head 18 in its properly aligned position, while the broken lines show the head as moved to one side or the other from the aligned position. From this figure it will be observedthat when the head is out of alignment, the rear portion 30 will be visible to the player as at 66 or 68 to indicate this condition of misalignment. When the head is in proper alignment the particular side surface 22 used as the striking surface will be in square relation to the intended path of the ball, as indicated by the line 69, and the ball will tend to follow this path after being struck. It will be obvious that in cases where the rearward portion 30 is substantially thicker than the shaft 12 the same provision for alignment of the head may he made by providing means other than the two surfaces 22, 22 for defining two parallel lines visible to the player and spaced apart by the thickness of the shaft.

Still another feature of the invention is that the club 10 may be readily weighted to provide it with the weight most comfortable to the player. To allow for selectively weighting the club, weights such as shown at 70, 7t) and made of lead or the like are provided. These weights are of such a size that they may be inserted with little force into the bore of the shaft 12, as shown in FIG. 3, and will be frictionally held in place after insertion. Therefore by adding one or more weights 70, 70 supplied with the club or head assembly at the time of purchase a player may adjust the same to achieve the most desirable overall weight.

FIG. 6 shows a portion of a golf club which constitutes an alternative embodiment of the invention and differs from that of FIGS. 1 to 5 in the construction of the stem. The stem 72 of the FIG. 6' club is generally similar to that shown at 20 except that it is made of a one piece construction thereby eliminating the need for a separate insert such as shown at 40. The stem 72 is made from a solid piece of round bar stock which is notched as at 7 4 to receive the upper end portion of the shank 26 and to define two arms 76, 76 which straddle the side faces 32, 32. At its upper end portion the stem '72 is provided with a bore 78 for telescopically receiving the lower end portion of the shaft 12. The bore 78 terminatm short of the notch 74 so as to define a part 80 between the notch 74 and the bore 78 which part is integral with the other portions of the stem, The part 80 is in turn provided with a threaded opening which extends be-f tweenthe bore 78 and the notch 74 and which receives a set screw '82. The set screw 82 may be turned by a tool inserted through the bore 78 so as to be brought into and out of locking engagement with the top surface 34 of the shank on the head 18. Although not shown in FIG. 6 the upper end portion of the stem 72 is threaded to receive a locking nut suchwas that shown at 52 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for releasably locking the shaft 12 in place with respect to the stem.

The invention claimed is:

, l. A golf club comprising a stem having a longitudinally extending bore in one end thereof, a shaft having its lower end portion telescopically inserted in said bore of said stem, a head having two opposed and generally parallel flat side faces which extend the entire length of said head and which are spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said shaft, means for adjustably securing the other end of said stem to said 6 adjustment of the length of said club, said stern being secured to :the top of said head at a point intermediate the ends of said head so that a player using said club and looking down on said shaft may visually align each side of said shaft with a respective one of said side faces on that portion of the head which extends rearwardly from said stem and toward the player to achieve a given adjustment of said head with the plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said shaft and the eye of the player.

2. A golf club as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said shaft being tubular, and a weight fitted in the bore of said shaft at the lower end portion thereof.

3. A golf clubhead assembly adapted for attachment to a shaft to form a complete club, said head assembly comprising a head, a stem connected with said head and having an upper portion provided with a longitudinal bore for telescopically receiving the lower end portion of a shaft, a locking nut threaded onto the upper end of said stem,said locking nut including an upper end portion having a shoulder axially spaced from the end surface of said stem and also having an opening coaxial with said stern bore for receiving a shaft such as aforesaid, and a compression ring disposed between said shoulder of said locking nut and said end surface of said stem and provided with an opening for receiving a shaft such as aforesaid, said shoulder and said end surface and said compression ring each being of a size and shape such that said compression ring is contracted upon the outer surface of a shaft inserted in said stem bore to lock the stem to the shaft when said nut is tightened on said stem and such that said compression ring is loosened with respect to said shaft to permit the latter to be moved telescopically with respect to said stem to change the length of the club formed by said head assembly and said shaft when said locking nut is loosened.

4. A golf club head assembly adapted for attachment to a shaft to form a complete club, said head assembly comprising a head having an upwardly extending shank which shank includes :an upper end portion having two opposed and parallel fiat side surfaces, a tubular stem having a notch formed in its lower end portion for receiving said upper end portion of said shank and which notch divides said stem into two arms which straddle said fiat side surfaces, an insert disposed in the bore of said stem at the lower end portion thereof, said insert including :a lower portion having a notch formed therein and aligned with the notch in said stem for receiving said upper end portion of said shank and which notch divides said insert into two arms which straddle said flat side surfaces, each of said insert arms being disposed between a respective one of said flat side surfaces and the ashead to permit said head to be moved to and held in vari-' ous different angular positions relative to said shaft, and means for releasably locking said shaft in various different longitudinal positions relative to said stem to permit sociated stein arm, and means passing transversely through said stem arms and said insert arms and said upper end portion of said shank for pivotally connecting said shank to said stern and for holding said insert arms in tight engagement with said flat side surfaces so as to firictionally grip said upper end portion of said shank with the result said head may be manually moved to different angular positions with respect to said stem and will retain the position to which it is moved.

5. A golf club head assembly adapted for attachment to a shaft to form a complete club, said head assembly comprising a head having an upwardly extending shank which shank includes an upper end portion having two opposed and parallel fiat side surfaces, a tubular stem having a notch formed in its lower end portion for receiving said upper end portion of said shank and which notch divides said stem into two arms which straddle said flat side surfaces, an insert disposed in the bore of said stem at the lower end portion thereof, said insert including a lower portion having a notch in said stem for receiving said upper end portion of said shank and which notch divides said insert into two arms which straddle said flat side surfaces, each of said insert arms being disposed between a respective one of said flat surfaces and References Cited in the file of this patent the associated stem arm, said insert also inciuding an UNITED STATES PATENTS upper portion having a threaded opemng extending longitudinally therethrough, a member passing transversely 1,631926 Dlckmson June 1927 through said stern arms and said insert arms and said up- 5 1,665,811 Hadden P 3. 1923 per end portion of said shank for pivotally connecting 1,697,346 Anerson 3 ,197-9 said shank to said stern, and a set screw th eaded into 2,822,614 Suslnnq b 1958 said threaded opening of said insert and operable to en- 2,991,082 HandZhk July 4, 1961 gage said upper end portion of said shank to hold said 2,995,375 BllkOVeY Aug. 8, 1961 head in a fixed position relative to said stem, 10 3,0 ,409 Johnson July 3,1962 

1. A GOLF CLUB COMPRISING A STEM HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BORE IN ONE END THEREOF, A SHAFT HAVING ITS LOWER END PORTION TELESCOPICALLY INSERTED IN SAID BORE OF SAID STEM, A HEAD HAVING TWO OPPOSED AND GENERALLY PARALLEL FLAT SIDE FACES WHICH EXTEND THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID HEAD AND WHICH ARE SPACED APART BY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE THICKNESS OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING THE OTHER END OF SAID STEM TO SAID HEAD TO PERMIT SAID HEAD TO BE MOVED TO AND HELD IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT ANGULAR POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY LOCKING SAID SHAFT IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT LONGITUDINAL POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID STEM TO PERMIT ADJUSTMENT OF THE LENGTH OF SAID CLUB, SAID STEM BEING SECURED TO THE TOP OF SAID HEAD AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID HEAD SO THAT A PLAYER USING SAID CLUB AND LOOKING DOWN ON SAID SHAFT MAY VISUALLY ALIGN EACH SIDE OF SAID SHAFT WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID SIDE FACES ON THAT PORTION OF THE HEAD WHICH EXTENDS REARWARDLY FROM SAID STEM AND TOWARD THE PLAYER TO ACHIEVE A GIVEN ADJUSTMENT OF SAID HEAD WITH THE PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT AND THE EYE OF THE PLAYER. 